Srinagar: Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti has been released after being detained for over 14 months, J&K government spokesman Rohit Kansal said on Tuesday. Mehbooba was charged under the Public Safety Act (PSA)–stringent law that allows detention without trial for up to three months and multiple extensions.
Mehbooba's daughter Iltija Mufti, who was handling her Twitter handle wrote, "As Ms Mufti's illegal detention finally ends, I'd like to thank everybody who supported me in these tough times. I owe a debt of gratitude to you all. This is Iltija signing off. May Allah protect you,".
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah and former CM of J&K also welcomed the move and wrote, "I'm pleased to hear that @MehboobaMufti Sahiba has been released after more than a year in detention. Her continued detention was a travesty & was against the basic tenets of democracy. Welcome out Mehbooba.".
Mehbooba was among hundreds of people detained in August 2019 to prevent protests against the Centre's move to divest J&K of its special status through the abrogation of the Article 370 of the Indian Constitution and the bifurcation of the state into two union territories.